gluten-free lemon chia cookie recipe

November 23, 2010

Our results are back...I am happy to say we've had the all clear. The kids and I do not have coeliacs! That does not mean to say I am going to run out and buy a pie and a loaf of bread though, oh no no. After feeling the way I have for the past month while eating wheat, I am really really happy to be wheat-free once more. Yes, it is a huge relief to know that gluten does not actually damage our bodies like those who are coeliac, but I know it definitely does not agree with us either. After only two days being wheat-free again, my month-long dull headache has gone and I am starting to feel like I have energy again. It is however, going to be really nice to relax a little and not have a heart attack every time the kids want to eat birthday cake at a friends party.

I am going to continue to eat mostly gluten-free and definitely wheat-free at home, so this blog will remain gluten-free for the most part. I may occasionally feature a recipe using spelt flour, oat flour or rye as I've found these to be okay for myself and the kids. But rest assured my gluten-free readers, you will never see me write a recipe using regular wheat flour. Even if my body felt fine when I ate wheat, I have come to love the challenge of gluten-free cooking so much that I don't think I could ever go back to cooking like I used to. To me gluten-free cooking is exciting and requires a whole new approach to cooking that I truly love and enjoy.

Right, gluten-free lemon chia cookies. Chia seeds are my new favourite ingredient, and are now readily available in bulk bins at your supermarket. If you are unfamiliar with these ancient South American seeds, they are not only a rich source of omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids, but are also high in protein, fibre, antioxidants, trace vitamins and minerals. Quite the little power pack really. I like to use them in muffins, breads, sprinkled over breakfast and added to our daily milk kefir smoothie. They give the same look as poppy seeds in a recipe, but add so much more nutritionally. These almond meal based cookies are super quick and easy to throw together and result in a sweet, chewy, moreish little cookie that is both satisfying and relatively good for you! Double bonus.

gluten-free lemon chia cookies recipeI use natural unrefined raw cane sugar, but caster or white sugar would also work fine. White rice flour can be used in place of the brown rice flour. For a change, use orange zest in place of lemon. Chia seeds can be found in bulk bins at most supermarkets these days, failing that, find them at health food stores. Makes 20-25.

1 1/2 cups (165g) almond meal (ground almonds)

3/4 cup (150g) raw unrefined sugar

1/3 cup (30g) brown rice flour

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 140 C/275 F. Grease and line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Place the almond meal, raw sugar, brown rice flour, lemon zest and chia seeds into a medium bowl and mix to fully combine.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the almond mixture along with the egg yolks.

Using a greased tablespoon measure, place rounded spoonfuls of mixture onto the baking tray about 2cm (3/4 inch) apart. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden around the edges. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store airtight for 2-3 days.

18 Comments

louie

I guess it's good news that you're not coeliac, but you still have your challenges eh. I, for one, am glad that you enjoy the challenges because we get the benefit of your fab recipes!

I chose not to do the coeliac test because I knew enough to know a couple of months of eating the stuff would make me feel worse than I thought a positive diagnosis was worth. I have toyed with the idea of getting my kids tested, but have baulked because of how hard I imagine getting a blood test would be. They definitely have minimal amounts of the stuff … not sure what I'm gonna do.

Still haven;t been able to make your chocolate pear cake .. argh .. whenever I find myself with enough time, I discover the kids have eaten all the pears! It will happen.

Toasted- yes it is a huge decision to get your kids tested. One that I have thought about for years now. But I am so sure Ada and myself are wheat intolerant (I decided at the last minute to also get Kye tested as I didn't want to have to feed him wheat for another month later down the track), and me being me, I wanted to find out once and for all if it was just intolerance or full-blown coeliacs. We have been eating wheat-free for the past year or so (after 2 years GF) and have seemed ok. But if I knew we were damaging our bodies eating the odd bit of wheat/gluten I would have gone strictly gf. The kids were actually pretty good, getting the blood tests. You can get the nurses to put a topical anesthetic on their arm which numbs it. Then it's just getting them over the mental thing! It's amazing what a (natural) lollipop can do in times like these!! 😉 Also re: pear cake, apples are a good alternative to the pears in the recipe if that helps?

Hehe, we too have a house of fruit monsters 🙂 Not that it's really a bad thing though!

We were told by our doctor to eat wheat for at least a month, so we did. Some say 2 weeks, but there really does have to be a decent amount in your system to test. It is a major decision, but god, it's so nice to finally know!

I've just found your blog, and am glad to read that you're not celiac. I'm not either, but I AM allergic to wheat. The symptoms you described when you first began to eat it again are mine exactly. I've cut it out of my diet and am now looking for baking alternatives. I'm glad to see that you use ground almonds and rice flour in these cookies–both are readily available to me in Belgium, whereas many of the other alternatives are not.

Kate-Hi there, yes I'm still trying to find out exactly what I can and can't eat, but so glad we are not coeliac! I think wheat is the main problem, but I still try to eat as much gluten-free as I can, with the exception of oats and soy sauce. Good luck 🙂

Anonymous

September 14, 2012 at 10:19 am

I love finding recipes with chia seeds in them! I make a porridge for my little girl with them. Just soak in rice milk until they are nice and puffed up, then add berries and heat a wee bit. She loves it. Trying these biscuits tomorrow. 🙂

Thank you for this excellent recipe. I made some minor modifications: added 3 drops of lemon essential oil for more flavor, although I am not sure they were necessary, and also increased the temp to 145 degrees Celsius as well as the cooking time. I live on the other side of the world -France- and found my gluten intolerance by accident. Like you, I am not coeliac but definitely benefit from living gluten and dairy free. The digestive problems I used to suffer from have simply disappeared . Again, "merci" for your great site !